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Top 20 Networking SDKs Used in iOS Apps on the Apple App Store
Last update: 30 Sep 2024 CET
App Store

Top 20 Networking SDKs Used in iOS Apps on the Apple App Store

We at 42matters have identified the 20 most popular Networking SDKs leveraged by iOS apps available on the iOS app market.

Networking SDKs are developer tools that provide networking functionalities for mobile apps. They enable developers to build apps capable of communicating with servers or other devices over a network, without having to build these capabilities from scratch. Network SDKs typically facilitate network requests, response handling, authentication, and more.

This list is based on our analysis of the millions of mobile applications – and the 2,300+ SDKs they use – that constitute the vast inventory of the Apple App Store. The accompanying data provides readers with a glimpse into the rich mobile application insights generated by the 42matters technology. This data is also available via our APIs, file dumps, Explorer, and SDK Explorer.

The intended purpose of this article is to assist app builders in their search for the perfect Networking SDK to leverage in their app, as well as to give SDK developers insight into their biggest competitors and potential customers. This data collected by our technology may also serve as a useful tool for folks researching the wider mobile app market.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 61.96% have integrated Nanopb. This accounts for 49.01% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Total Apps
491.23k
App Store
App Share
61.96%
App Store
Apps
455.60k
Games
35.64k
Total Downloads
118.67b
App Store
Download Share
49.01%
App Store
App Downloads
82.13b
Game Downloads
36.53b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Nanopb.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 23.72% have integrated Alamofire. This accounts for 21.37% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Alamofire is an HTTP networking library SDK written in Swift.

Total Apps
188.02k
App Store
App Share
23.72%
App Store
Apps
186.36k
Games
1.66k
Total Downloads
51.74b
App Store
Download Share
21.37%
App Store
App Downloads
47.95b
Game Downloads
3.79b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Alamofire.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 21.37% have integrated AFNetworking. This accounts for 24.81% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

AFNetworking is a delightful networking library SDK for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. It's built on top of the Foundation URL Loading System, extending the powerful high-level networking abstractions built into Cocoa. It has a modular architecture with well-designed, feature-rich APIs that are a joy to use.

Total Apps
169.46k
App Store
App Share
21.37%
App Store
Apps
159.60k
Games
9.86k
Total Downloads
60.07b
App Store
Download Share
24.81%
App Store
App Downloads
52.17b
Game Downloads
7.90b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use AFNetworking.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 10.74% have integrated gRPC. This accounts for 20.76% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

gRPC is a modern open source, high-performance RPC framework SDK that can run in any environment. It can efficiently connect services in and across data centers with pluggable support for load balancing, tracing, health checking, and authentication.

Total Apps
85.16k
App Store
App Share
10.74%
App Store
Apps
81.44k
Games
3.72k
Total Downloads
50.27b
App Store
Download Share
20.76%
App Store
App Downloads
46.87b
Game Downloads
3.40b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use gRPC.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 9.65% have integrated Kingfisher. This accounts for 9.52% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Kingfisher is a powerful, pure-Swift library SDK for downloading and caching images from the web. It provides you a chance to use a pure-Swift way to work with remote images in your next app.

Total Apps
76.49k
App Store
App Share
9.65%
App Store
Apps
76.03k
Games
455
Total Downloads
23.04b
App Store
Download Share
9.52%
App Store
App Downloads
22.54b
Game Downloads
499.40m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Kingfisher.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 8.60% have integrated SocketRocket. This accounts for 8.88% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

SocketRocket is an SDK that offers a conforming Objective-C WebSocket client library.

Total Apps
68.16k
App Store
App Share
8.60%
App Store
Apps
67.15k
Games
1.01k
Total Downloads
21.49b
App Store
Download Share
8.88%
App Store
App Downloads
19.31b
Game Downloads
2.19b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use SocketRocket.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 5.11% have integrated Starscream. This accounts for 6.62% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

The Starscream SDK is a conforming WebSocket (RFC 6455) library in Swift.

Total Apps
40.51k
App Store
App Share
5.11%
App Store
Apps
40.14k
Games
371
Total Downloads
16.02b
App Store
Download Share
6.62%
App Store
App Downloads
15.54b
Game Downloads
480.73m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Starscream.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 3.78% have integrated AlamofireImage. This accounts for 2.71% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

AlamofireImage is an image component library SDK for Alamofire.

Total Apps
29.98k
App Store
App Share
3.78%
App Store
Apps
29.83k
Games
149
Total Downloads
6.55b
App Store
Download Share
2.71%
App Store
App Downloads
6.49b
Game Downloads
65.37m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use AlamofireImage.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 2.54% have integrated Moya. This accounts for 4.99% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

The Moya SDK is a network abstraction layer written in Swift.

Total Apps
20.14k
App Store
App Share
2.54%
App Store
Apps
19.75k
Games
387
Total Downloads
12.07b
App Store
Download Share
4.99%
App Store
App Downloads
9.47b
Game Downloads
2.60b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Moya.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 2.49% have integrated ASIHTTPRequest. This accounts for 2.91% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

ASIHTTPRequest is an easy to use wrapper SDK around the CFNetwork API that makes some of the more tedious aspects of communicating with web servers easier. It is written in Objective-C and works in both Mac OS X and iPhone applications.

Total Apps
19.71k
App Store
App Share
2.49%
App Store
Apps
17.80k
Games
1.91k
Total Downloads
7.06b
App Store
Download Share
2.91%
App Store
App Downloads
5.59b
Game Downloads
1.47b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use ASIHTTPRequest.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 2.42% have integrated WebRTC. This accounts for 5.79% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

With WebRTC, you can add real-time communication capabilities to your mobile apps. It supports sending videos, voice, and generic data between peers, allowing developers to build powerful voice- and video-communication solutions.

Total Apps
19.19k
App Store
App Share
2.42%
App Store
Apps
19.07k
Games
117
Total Downloads
14.01b
App Store
Download Share
5.79%
App Store
App Downloads
13.89b
Game Downloads
119.67m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use WebRTC.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 2.25% have integrated CocoaAsyncSocket. This accounts for 3.09% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

The CocoaAsyncSocket SDK provides easy-to-use and powerful asynchronous socket libraries for macOS, iOS, and tvOS.

Total Apps
17.86k
App Store
App Share
2.25%
App Store
Apps
17.57k
Games
292
Total Downloads
7.47b
App Store
Download Share
3.09%
App Store
App Downloads
7.37b
Game Downloads
98.15m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use CocoaAsyncSocket.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 2.03% have integrated Socket.io. This accounts for 1.65% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Socket.IO is an SDK that enables real-time, bidirectional and event-based communication. It works on every platform, browser or device, focusing equally on reliability and speed.

Total Apps
16.07k
App Store
App Share
2.03%
App Store
Apps
15.89k
Games
182
Total Downloads
3.99b
App Store
Download Share
1.65%
App Store
App Downloads
3.67b
Game Downloads
316.28m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Socket.io.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 1.33% have integrated AlamofireObjectMapper. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

The AlamofireObjectMapper SDK is an extension to Alamofire which automatically converts JSON response data into swift objects using ObjectMapper.

Total Apps
10.56k
App Store
App Share
1.33%
App Store
Apps
10.52k
Games
44
Total Downloads
1.79b
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
1.78b
Game Downloads
10.53m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use AlamofireObjectMapper.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 1.28% have integrated PINRemoteImage. This accounts for 1.69% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

PINRemoteImage is an SDK that offers a fast, non-deadlocking parallel image downloader and cache for iOS.

Total Apps
10.16k
App Store
App Share
1.28%
App Store
Apps
10.13k
Games
27
Total Downloads
4.09b
App Store
Download Share
1.69%
App Store
App Downloads
4.07b
Game Downloads
12.52m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use PINRemoteImage.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 1.24% have integrated Google APIs for Objective-C for REST. This accounts for 1.01% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Total Apps
9.82k
App Store
App Share
1.24%
App Store
Apps
9.69k
Games
123
Total Downloads
2.43b
App Store
Download Share
1.01%
App Store
App Downloads
2.28b
Game Downloads
155.22m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Google APIs for Objective-C for REST.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated AlamofireNetworkActivityIndicator. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

The AlamofireNetworkActivityIndicator SDK controls the visibility of the network activity indicator on iOS apps.

Total Apps
4.04k
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
4.03k
Games
9
Total Downloads
1.10b
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
1.10b
Game Downloads
2.33m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use AlamofireNetworkActivityIndicator.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated CXML. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

CXML is a streamlined protocol SDK intended for consistent communication of business documents between procurement applications, e-commerce hubs, and suppliers.

Total Apps
3.85k
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
3.71k
Games
134
Total Downloads
793.82m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
722.84m
Game Downloads
70.98m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use CXML.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated MQTT-Client-Framework. This accounts for 1.24% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

The MQTT-Client-Framework SDK is a native Objective-C iOS library. It uses CFNetwork for networking and CoreData for persistence. It is a complete implementation of MQTT 3.1.1 and supports TLS.

Total Apps
3.26k
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
3.08k
Games
175
Total Downloads
3.01b
App Store
Download Share
1.24%
App Store
App Downloads
2.69b
Game Downloads
310.61m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use MQTT-Client-Framework.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated RestKit. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

RestKit is a framework SDK for consuming and modeling RESTful web resources on iOS and OS X.

Total Apps
2.85k
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
2.85k
Games
3
Total Downloads
987.78m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
987.70m
Game Downloads
82.25k

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use RestKit.

Browse iOS and Android SDKs With the SDK Explorer

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  • SDK IntelligenceSDK Intelligence

    See how many apps integrate specific SDKs, how many times these SDKs have been downloaded, developer details, similar SDKs, and more.

  • New Installations and Removals HistoryNew Installations and Removals History

    Analyze installation and removal trends for SDKs. Discover which apps have removed or integrated specific SDKs in a given timeframe.

  • Market Share per Google Play and Apple App Store CategoryMarket Share per Google Play and Apple App Store Category

    See which app categories or genres are most likely to use specific SDKs. Detect SDK market share per category.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How does 42matters collect this data?'

We’ve developed a number of machine learning algorithms that scan millions of mobile and connected TV (CTV) applications on a regular basis. In addition, we collect ground truth app performance intelligence and use this data to build statistical models that estimate the performance of apps for which we do not have ground truth data.

What SDK data does 42matters collect?'

We track over 2,300 of the most popular SDKs integrated in iOS and Android apps. We collect a variety of SDK insights (title, platform, ID, category, and developer website); performance metrics (the number of apps that have installed each SDK, installation and removal trends, and app downloads); market share statistics (including market share per app category); and more!

How can I access 42matters’ SDK data?'

The most direct way is to use our SDK Explorer, which is a visual, web-based research platform that enables you to peruse all 2,300+ SDKs that we track. It’s great for market research, lead generation, competitor analysis, etc. However, more technically-inclined folks might prefer our APIs and File Dumps, which enable you to query info for specific apps or SDKs. You can also use our other research platform (the Explorer) to view integrated SDKs by app.

Can I use 42matters’ solutions to generate app publisher leads?'

Absolutely! We actually wrote about this on our blog. We focused on ad network SDKs, but the examples are applicable to most SDK types. To summarize, you can use the Explorer’s advanced filtering capabilities to home in on best-fit app publishers, leverage the SDK Explorer to see which apps use your competitors’ SDKs, and use our APIs and file dumps to build custom lead generation processes.

What data does 42matters provide on mobile apps?'

A ton! We track 17+ million apps across Google Play, the Apple App Store, Amazon Appstore, Tencent Appstore, and Huawei AppGallery. Our solutions provide access to app details (developer insights, metadata, ASO keywords, contact information, etc.); performance metrics (downloads, MAUs, ratings, reviews, top chart rankings, etc.); technical insights (integrated SDKs, permissions, required capabilities, etc.); content details (categories, genres, IAB categories, content ratings, etc.); compliance information (app-ads.txt, privacy policies, store status, etc.) and much, much more!

Can I use 42matters’ solutions to find SDKs for my app?'

Definitely. The SDK Explorer enables you to sort SDKs by category, identify similar SDKs, analyze SDK reliability, and more. In addition, you can use the Explorer to monitor your competitors, including which SDKs they add and remove, their current tech stacks, and SDK changelogs. This means you use our solutions not only to find the right SDK for a particular purpose, but also which SDKs you might need to keep up with your rivals.